Persecution of Christians

Aid to the Church in Need’sReligious Freedom in the World 2014 Report

The report – looking at all religious groups and covering events from October 2012 to June 2014 – concludes that where the situation regarding religious liberty has changed, it has almost always changed for the worse. In the 196 countries analyzed, deteriorating conditions are noted in 55 countries.

The report notes other trends, including the rise of religious intolerance and “aggressive atheism” in Western Europe; a growing “religious illiteracy” among Western policy makers, leading to misunderstandings in foreign policy areas; a worrying growth of anti-Semitic incidents in Europe.

Christianity looks set to disappear from key parts of the Middle East, according to the latest report compiled the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) which highlights a worsening cycle of persecution. The Report concludes that if the exodus of faithful from Iraq continues at existing levels, the faithful could all but disappear within five years and that a faster rate of attrition is noted in Syria.

Ranking Islamism as the greatest threat, the 2015 Report also highlights growing problems caused by other extremist religious groups – militant forms of Hinduism, Judaism and Buddhism – with attacks increasing in number and ferocity. Totalitarian regimes, notably China, have put increasing pressure on the Church, with severe threats facing Christians in Eritrea and Vietnam.

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom is a U.S. federal government commission created by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. USCIRF is independent, bipartisan, the first of its kind in the world, dedicated to defending the universal right to freedom of religion or belief abroad. USCIRF reviews the facts and circumstances of religious freedom violations and makes policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress. USCIRF Commissioners are appointed by the President and the Congressional leadership of both political parties.